


Step Back

by Hidden_Author (orphan_account)



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: All because Sozin's backstory is expanded upon, Alternate Universe - The Fire Nation Won, Azulon loves and supports ALL his grandkids, But they're all evil imperialists keep that in mind, Fire Nation Royal Family, Gen, Lo and Li are part of the Royal Family, Lu Ten (Avatar) Lives, Nonbender Zuko (Avatar)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:15:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24871405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Hidden_Author
Summary: Sozin makes sure to teach Azulon the importance of non-benders in the Royal Family. Nearly a century later, Zuko does not have Agni's gift.This turns out to be the best thing that happened to the Fire Nation.(Otherwise known as The One Where Imperialists Win.)
Relationships: Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Lu Ten & Zuko
Comments: 38
Kudos: 379
Collections: A:tla





	1. Fire

Fire Lord Sozin marries Lady Yinji when he is nineteen. She is sweet, polite, refined, and perfectly capable of murder if needed: everything that a good Fire Lady ought to be. The marriage was a political one, but there is also genuine affection between the two. Within a year, Yinji bears a child for Sozin, then another, but both children fall sick and die in a particularly savage bout of a plague that hits Caldera five years after Sozin and Yinji married. Of course, Yinji is distraught, but she knows her duty as Fire Lady, and she and Sozin welcome another son into the world. Zhan Hi grows to be smart, clever, and beloved by the people. In time, he marries and has a daughter of his own. Sozin’s line seems secure, and his nation is flourishing.

(He was harboring secret plots to be evil and take over the world, but we’ll just ignore the imperialism for now.)

However, six years before Agni’s Comet is set to return to the world, tragedy hits the Royal Family. Zhan Hi and his daughter both die at sea, and Sozin’s line is no longer secure.

(Don’t feel bad for them though - they were on their way to the colonies Sozin had already set up. They were also imperialists.)

He makes the best of a bad situation and blames their death on a group of airbenders who had been unfortunate enough to be flying by. Sozin knows it’s not true, but he also knows that the avatar was reborn an air nomad and if he is to expand his empire, he needs the air nomads gone. Blaming Zhan Hi’s death on them is a convenient way to turn public sentiment against them.

Sozin’s beloved Yinji hears the news and dies of a broken heart. Sozin himself knows that he needs an heir. His grandfather took the throne from the previous royal house, and his father never had children besides for Sozin, so the Fire Nation could descend into anarchy if he does not produce an heir. The fire sages find him a new wife, easily fifty years younger than him. They do not love each other, but Sozin knows that when he dies, she will be set for life as Dowager Fire Lady, so he tries not to feel guilty.

She bears twin girls, Lo and Li, but they do not have the spark. This is uncommon for the royal line, but of course, those without bending cannot inherit the throne, so she bears another child for him. This child is born in the year of the comet, and he has the spark. Sozin names him Azulon and never sleeps with his wife again.

(Despite his many other failings, Sozin feels very uncomfortable sleeping with a twenty-three-year-old when he is pushing eighty. We can give him the “not-as-much-of-a-jerk-as-he-could-have-been-award.” He’s still an imperialist though.)

If he learns anything from Zhan Hi’s death, it is that Royal Children are valuable. Even those without the spark provide stability and legitimacy to the reigning monarch. This is a lesson he will pass on to Azulon. The lesson is strengthened by Azulon’s older sisters, who are smarter and more clever and better at firebending theory than Azulon can ever hope to be. Azulon learns to value the non-bending members of his family just as much as those who can bend. He will pass this lesson down to Iroh and Ozai when they are old enough to have children of their own.

(I mean, it’s better to value people because they’re people, not because they’re useful, but it’s better than Azulon not valuing them at all, right?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to hear what you think!
> 
> Sozin was born in 82 BG and Azulon was born in 0 AG. That means that Sozin was 82 when Azulon was born. Then Sozin died in 20 AG. Roku died in 12 BG.
> 
> In this fic, Sozin married in 63 BG, had Zhan Hi in 55 BG, Zhan Hi married in 32 BG, his daughter was born in 30 BG. Then in 6 BG, Zhan Hi and his daughter die, and Sozin remarries and has Lo, Li, and Azulon by 0 AG.


	2. Earth

Iroh and Ozai are both benders, both talented. Azulon knows that Ozai wants the throne, but Iroh is the firstborn, is an accomplished general, and Iroh’s son Lu Ten is incredibly popular. Ozai marries Ursa, and Azulon’s second grandchild does not have the spark.

Ozai is nowhere to be found when his first son is born, so Azulon visits Ursa a few hours after the birth. She reports this lack-of-spark with fear in her eyes, clutching the baby tightly to her chest as if that would protect him if Azulon wanted him dead. As gently as he can manage, which is not very gently at all, Azulon explains that a member of the royal house without bending is not a bad thing at all, especially with Iroh and Lu Ten set to inherit, and besides if Azulon did hurt the baby Lo and Li would beat their little brother up so badly even Agni wouldn’t recognize him.

(That was a direct threat Lo and Li used on Azulon when he was about seven years old. It has not lost its power decades later.)

Azulon then explains that a non-bending member of the royal family had a multitude of career options to chose from, once they were old enough, all options that fitted their royal station and would bring honor to their house. Ursa looks relieved.

Two years later, she has a daughter with the spark. Azulon is just as happy to welcome her into their house as he was to welcome little Zuko, but he notices that Ozai favors his daughter more than his son. This is a problem that Azulon will not let fester. Any faults in the foundation of the royal family could endanger his nation. So he tells Ozai plainly that if he does not accept and appreciate his son, Ozai will be stripped of his titles, removed from the line of succession, and banished to the colonies. Azulon has no patience for games, not with his own son.

Maybe Ozai doesn’t love Zuko, but from then on he certainly acts as if he does. And Zuko never feels less than Azula, never feels that he was lucky to be born. He knows his place and is happy.

When Azula turns five, her spark turns into real fire, and she begins her lessons. At the same time, Zuko’s lessons in the art of diplomacy begin. Azulon has recognized a valuable job that only a non-bender could fulfill: Official Royal Diplomat and Treaty Maker. Diplomats are always non-benders as a way to say, “the fighting’s over. Let’s talk peace.” Of course, Azulon plans for there to be less peace and more total subjugation, but he has no interest in running the entire Earth Kingdom. The Earth King will be a puppet on his throne, and Zuko will handle the details of the arrangement. He will also negotiate the details of the colonies, who will rule them, and how.

When Zuko is twelve, Iroh writes to his father and tells him that the siege of Ba Sing Se is almost complete. Azulon sends Zuko as head of the diplomatic mission to set up the future of the Earth Kingdom. Lu Ten is ecstatic to see his cousin and show him around the campsite, show him the Earth Kingdom prisoners, show him the nearly destroyed wall.

(In another world, where Zuko is a bender and therefore never joins the siege of Ba Sing Se, Lu Ten does not show his cousin around and dies that night. In this world, Lu Ten doesn’t even know how close he had been to death.)

(Also, they’re all still imperialists and colonists. Boo.)

The wall comes down, the city is taken, and the Earth Kingdom suffers a major blow. From his studies, Zuko knows that the Earth Kingdom has many autonomously-ruled areas, like Omashu, but the Earth King rules over the largest area and also serves as a national figurehead.

Apparently King Kuei doesn’t even know there’s a war going on? His advisor, Long Feng, kept it hidden from him. Long Feng also dies at the hands of the Dragon of the West himself, so Zuko can’t even question him. But with no competent ruler, Zuko easily lays out the terms of the Earth Kingdom’s surrender and the way his government will operate in the future.

(Don’t worry, Zuko does have aides and advisors. Azulon wouldn’t send a preteen to set up the puppet state by himself, that would be foolish.)

When Iroh and Lu Ten return to the Fire Nation, they are greeted as war heroes. Zuko is greeted with honor and respect and immediately works on improving the governance of the colonies. Ultimately, Azulon sends Ozai to rule over them temporarily. It gets Ozai out of everyone’s hair and lets him feel important. But Azulon insists that all his grandchildren stay with him.

He and Azula bond over a shared love of Pai Sho.


	3. Water

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, exciting stuff went down this weekend in my fam and I am exhausted.

(In order to properly continue to tell this tale, a brief interlude is necessary.)

The Southern Water Tribe suffers from the invasions of the Southern Raiders and the wife of Chief Hakoda is slain in the final raid. However, the men of the Southern Water Tribe never leave to fight in the war. The war is already lost. They instead chose to stay with the tribe, fortifying it as much as they can.

(Thus ends the interlude.)

A few years after the conquest of Ba Sing Se, the war is all but won for the Fire Nation. There are a few rebellions here and there, but overall, Prince Zuko manages to iron out peace after his ancestors conquered the world. Iroh is training Lu Ten to be Fire Lord after him, Ozai rules over the colonies, and Azula is both a bending prodigy and a master strategist. Azulon envisions a future in which Lu Ten rules the people, Azula fights any battles that need fighting, and Zuko brings about peace after the fighting is over. The Fire Nation has already conquered most of the world, and Azulon is proud to know that his nation rests in capable hands and will be powerful for years after he is gone.

(Reminder: this is bad news. The Fire Nation is Imperialist and has Colonies. And Zuko has no motivation to change sides in this universe. So even he is an Imperialist.)

Of course, Iroh knows that Azulon is getting old and approaching his end and that Lu Ten’s official duties will ramp up once he is Heir to the Throne, so Iroh sends Lu Ten on a vacation, letting him relax and see the world. Officially, he is “searching for the Avatar,” because vacations are not in the vocabulary of the Fire Nation Royal Family.

Now, Lu Ten isn’t technically meant to go so far south, because the Fire Nation has not yet conquered the Southern Water Tribe, but he does anyway. He’ll spend the rest of his life traveling between the Fire Nation and the colonies. So he happens to be close to the Southern Water Tribe when he sees a suspicious beam of light erupt into the sky. Lu Ten has no better way of describing it. But he knows that it’s not natural.

He sends a small scouting boat out to get closer to the Southern Water Tribe, to see what’s happening, and the boat comes back a few days later with the difficult-to-believe news that the Avatar is alive.

 _Agni’s Ashes,_ Lu Ten thinks - as a prince, he’s not allowed to curse publicly, but he still thinks it. And then he takes his ship and returns to the Fire Nation, where he receives more bad news. Azulon has passed on.

Everyone thinks he returned for the funeral and coronation of his father, and he lets them think that, but he tells his father everything. They organize a small but elite fleet to strike at the Southern Water Tribe and bring Zuko along as well. Zuko is now sixteen and needs no advisors. The cousins spend the entire trip down south recalling legends of the Avatar and speculating how he could still be alive.

When they arrive at the Southern Water Tribe, Lu Ten wants to attack immediately, while they still have surprise on their side, but Zuko advises against it. He has an _idea_.

The idea consists of getting close enough to the village that Zuko can shout from the ship he’s on and be heard by them. He yells out _we just want the Avatar, hand him over and no one will get hurt._

The plan is idiotic, in Lu Ten’s view, but Zuko is meant to be the peacemaker and cultural expert, so he waits for about ten minutes to see if it works.

It does not work.

The ensuing battle is intense. The Southern Raiders did not tell horror stories of demonic savages for nothing - they fight tooth and nail to defend their tribe.

(Yes, Lu Ten thinks of the people of the Southern Water Tribe as savages. This is because he is an imperialist and thinks that his status as a member of the Fire Nation makes him better than other people. The author does not believe that they are Savages, but this is Lu Ten’s point of view.)

The battle is also very, very short. After just a few minutes of fighting, Lu Ten feels himself being thrown back from the savage he was fighting by the air around him. Once he catches his breath, he looks around and sees that every fighter has been separated, a clearing created in between the firebenders and the savages. Standing in that clearing is a young bald monk. The Avatar.

What happens next confuses Lu Ten very much. He, along with everyone else, is unable to move forward into the clearing created by the Avatar, a wall of wind blocking his path. Everyone else except Zuko, that is - he walks forward from his secure location on the ship, and the Avatar allows him through.

Lu Ten wants to scream at his foolish cousin - Zuko cannot defend himself, he is meant to stay on the ship where he is safe, his swords are nothing against the Avatar’s power. But Zuko walks confidently as if he does not have anything to fear.

The wind is too loud for Lu Ten to overhear their conversation, but after a few minutes, Zuko and the Avatar are walking together towards the ships. The Avatar is facing the Southern Water Tribe, still bending his wall of air to prevent the savages from attacking, but Lu Ten and his men are able to move again.

Well, Lu Ten is a Prince of the Blood, a descendant of Agni Himself, and a solid military commander. He does not let his confusion show, only signals to his men to return to the ships. Once onboard, he immediately descends to Zuko’s quarters, where he and the Avatar appear to be having a pleasant conversation over tea.

 _Hello, cousin,_ Zuko says after Lu Ten closes the door behind him. As if conversations over tea with the Avatar were everyday occurrences.

 _Could we perhaps talk privately, cousin?_ asks Lu Ten, who begins to suspect that Zuko’s earlier plan did not fail at all.

They lock the Avatar in Zuko’s quarters and head towards Lu Ten’s. Once inside, Zuko breaks out into a huge grin, pride written all over his face. He explains that he knew the Water Tribe would not back down, but that the Avatar was an Airbender and therefore a pacifist and would take the route that would leave the fewest people hurt. That route ended up being the Avatar agreeing to return to the Fire Nation with Zuko in exchange for amnesty for the Southern Water Tribe.

It’s brilliant. The Avatar will have no choice but to allow his imprisonment, and the threat of annihilating the Southern Water Tribe is one that they can hold over him forever. Lu Ten has never been prouder of his cousin and tells him so.

Over the journey back, Zuko learns more about the Avatar over tea. He only knows airbending and cannot control the Avatar State. He has a pet flying bison - Lu Ten sees it flying after the fleet a few days into their journey back and shoots it down, but Zuko does not tell Aang this.

(The Author is so, so sorry that Appa is dead. The author does not condone animal cruelty.)

They return triumphant, the Avatar is sent to a secure location that had been prepared to imprison him decades ago, and Azula complains about missing all the fun. Lu Ten assures her that there wasn’t much of a battle, so she would have been bored. Lu Ten also ensures that the royal bards compose a ballad to honor Zuko’s capture of the Avatar without the loss of a single Fire Nation Citizen.

Zuko will occasionally visit the Avatar, to ask him about Air Nomad culture - he insists that he needs to be well rounded and understand all the nations if he wants to serve the Royal Family well, even the nations that will soon be extinct.

(Sometimes Zuko wonders if they may have been friends, in a different world. But he never wonders for too long.)

(Once, only once, Lu Ten asks him if he wishes he had been born with bending. Zuko answers that his life is perfect just as it is.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, the Imperialists won! I just thought this was a cute idea that I wanted to get onto paper, but it's clearly not a fully-fledged story. If anyone wants to take this and run with it, feel free!
> 
> I'd love to hear what you think!
> 
> (Also if you can figure out why I called it Step Back let me know - it's not that deep, just curious if anyone got it!)


End file.
